47 – Turbulence (4)

The Star of Annihilation

Chapter 47 – Turbulence (4)

Written by : eleven

* * *

Brrrrrrrrr!

The warp portal made a whirring noise as the mana of the 8-star Grand Wizard, Tubel, was poured into the space.

“Do go ahead, I’ll be right behind you both.”

Tubel smiled as he politely allowed Aurelia and Mateo to step forwards.

Whoosh!

Stepping through the portal, the sight that greeted the young Swordmaster and Archmage duo, was a blood-red sky filled with a dull and gloomy atmosphere.

It was Mateo’s first time at the border and he sniffed at the air.

The scent of blood and metal was strong as it was a strong smell ingrained into the very earth after the endless bloodshed this border had experienced in years past.

“Ah, it’s your first time at the border, isn’t it Count Lancer? You’ll get used to it pretty quickly.”

Tubel gave a bitter smile as he walked through the portal and closed up the warp.

“Where is everyone?”

Mateo asked as he thought they were warping towards a fortress at the border where there should have been others.

“The Emperor received notice that it’s getting a bit dangerous, the plans have changed and it seems that both you and Aurelia are going to be needed a little sooner than expected…”

“We’re in the midst of the Demon’s Territory already, aren’t we?”

Aurelia interrupted as she immediately deduced where they were.

“Yes, as I was the one to gift the communication crystal with Sir Lucius, I also happen to know how close he is. We have approximately 30 minutes till they arrive here on foot, but I would hope you both are ready to cut that time in half and move towards them as well.”

Tubel hinted once again that the situation was dire as he gathered mana into his body and focused it around his eyes.

Looking into the fat off distance, Tubel immediately found the boy, Roy, and his Master Lucius.

“You’ll be joining us as well?”

Aurelia asked as this was a bit of comfort if her conjecture was true.

The help of the only 8-star Grand Wizard on the continent, playing an active role in the extraction, only did well to help quell her worries.

“Get ready.”

Mateo interrupted her as all of a sudden a huge gush of silver aura surrounded the blade he had unsheathed.

Mateo’s expression remained unchanged, but he turned his head in the direction of Tubel’s gaze as he roused his aura blade.

“I’ll leave first, I trust you two will be ready by the time I’m back?”

Mateo asked once more.

“Yes, but we might also need to chat a bit with Alar if he’s coherent enough.”

Tubel gave a slight grin to Mateo and Aurelia, as Emperor Navarro gave him the order to see if it was possible to engage in conversation with Alar in order to understand why this was happening.

For that reason, Tubel was granted access to mobilize as well for the operation because the fighting power should be balanced out enough for Alar to question whether he would be making a hasty move or not and hopefully be able to shake up the Demon King into rationalizing his erratic movements.

“Then we will see you soon, won’t we?”

Tubel nodded to Aurelia as he confirmed it was okay for Mateo to move independently and depart immediately.

“We will.”

Bang.

As soon as Aurelia confirmed, Mateo’s figure blurred in that split-second as the ground where he stood left a single footprint embedded into the ground from the power of him kicking the ground to leave.

“Ah.”

Aurelia woke up from her daze as she realized just how fast Mateo had moved.

Even amongst other Swordmasters, Mateo Lancer, the Seventh and Youngest one to claim the title, was the fastest between them. 

His speed of movement and his attacks were near the speed of sound as Tubel and Aurelia had to immediately cover their ears from the sound barrier shattering with his explosive movement.

The wind shook from Mateo’s departure and as they looked into the distance, both Aurelia and Tubel started to rouse their mana and pre-cast spells to be prepared just in case push came to shove.

* * *

“Just a bit farther Master!”

Roy shouted as he was struggling to maintain his debuffs on the Demon King that was practically right on their heels.

Alar was much too strong for Roy to even think about stopping, and the few kilometers apart that they had, had been closed to no more than a hundred feet in between.

Lucius looked haggard as magic could only do so much to reprieve his fatigue.

Roy had even cast different types of auxiliary magic that he rarely used. They were types he had learned out of necessity in the wars he had been in, his previous life.

[Refresh]

[Mental Stability]

Roy had been managing the contact with the Emperor and the Emperor had sent him a set of coordinates of where the extraction team would be.

Tatatatatatat.

Lucius’ feet were moving on autopilot the entire time, and suddenly he tripped.

Or at least that’s what Alar thought.

“I have you now!”

Alar shouted realizing that this chase was about to end.

But, as Lucius and Roy fell at high speed across the barren plains, it was not due to a simple trip.

Their chase was done.

At that moment, Alar’s face contorted in surprise and then anger as right as he was about to lunge at the two, a loud noise rang out as if something had shattered.

Right as Alar winced, a silvery line was drawn through the air and shot at Alar’s body at the speed of sound.

BANG!

“Master! Master!”

As Roy was covered in dirt and bruises from their fall, he turned Lucius over to get a look at his unresponsive master.

“Ah!”

Zzzzzz…

Roy smiled bitterly as he saw his master simply crash asleep without a care in the world.

He was dirty and had some blood on his lips, but nonetheless Roy took this moment to try and get them together.

Something had stopped Alar’s advancement, and even Roy was shocked as he couldn’t catch the image of what exactly had just come soaring through the air at such speed.

As Roy picked up his master after enhancing his own muscles with mana, he turned to look at the collision.

* * *

BANG!

The shockwaves from Alar’s fist colliding with the aura-clad blade of Mateo Lancer’s attack, reverberated throughout the barren plains.

The silver and brilliant aura collided with the black and green demonic energy that was clad around Alar’s body.

“You….!”

“I apologize for the rude entrance Sir Demon King, Alar. My name is Mateo Lancer, Count of the Empire. Nah I know what business you have with our citizens in a time of peace?”

Mateo’s words were nothing short of cheeky. They were nothing but a formality if anything, because his sword showed no signs of changing position or going back in its sheath.

“…..I just felt like taking a stroll outside my territory. Don’t you humans like to do that as well from time to time?”

Alar responded in a sarcastic tone, implying that he had no intentions of revealing his purpose.

From this, it was clear that whatever Alar wanted, Lucius and Roy had, and was not something Alar wanted to be leaked out- whatever it may be.

“I suppose so, but this right here is the fence. And nobody is allowed to cross unless I say so.”

Mateo responded in a light tone; playing along with Alar’s disgusting game of words.

“Oh, is that so…?”

Alar grinned as if he found Mateo’s antics cute.

“Then do show me what happens if I cross and you don’t say I can.”

BA-BOOM!

Alar stomped on the ground, causing the earthen plates to shake and slide.

Mateo jumped up and clicked his tongue.

[Are those two people from the Empire?]

Suddenly a mental transmission made from mana made its way to Mateo’s consciousness.

Turning his head, Mateo realized it was Roy who was asking the question.

[Yes, are you able to take Sir Lucius with you to them by any chance?]

[Of course, that’s the least I can do.]

Lucius was unconscious as Roy lifted his body up and over his shoulders in a piggyback form.

It was odd seeing that a twelve year-old boy lift up a fully grown adult body as if it were a toy, but Mateo quickly turned his attention back to the Demon King in front of him.

‘I’ll have to drag him over while moving away.’

Roy had already started moving towards Tubel and Aurelia, and didn’t leave any lingering thoughts behind as he left Mateo to deal with the Demon King.

“Let’s dance….”

Muttering under his breath in a sarcastic tone of voice, Mateo started to take a stance with his sword once he landed on the uneven ground.

Swordsmanship of the Silver Flash, Fifth Series : Retribution of the Fallen

Plunging his sword into the ground, silver aura from his body poured into the ground, dying the sky in a dazzling silver.

Alar looked on calmly as this happened and focused his senses towards the aura he felt coming out of Mateo’s sword.

BA-BA-BA-BA-BANG!

Suddenly the ground cracked once more, and silver blades of aura shot up from the ground in a collective manner towards Alar.

“Hmph!”

Alar snorted as the blades of aura shot out and aimed at his pressure points with their sharp edges.

Coating his fist in shrouds of Demonic Energy, a green energy surged through his body like a battery.

BOOM!

Mateo winced as shockwaves continued to reverberate with every blow Alar landed on these blades of aura he had summoned from his sword.

Alar grinned as the blades of aura were smashed apart by his fists, one-by-one.

“If this is the extent of your tricks, you might as well dig your own grave while you have the chance.”


Mateo frowned but started to retreat as he heard these words.

Mateo’s aura had the attribute of pure ‘speed’.

He had learned all sorts of swordsmanship styles, but he felt most comfortable with his own unique swordsmanship that he was still improving on.


‘Silver Flash Swordsmanship is my own… but it’s not nearly strong enough to cut into his body.’

Mateo’s speed was fast enough to near the speed of light if he focused enough, but it didn’t matter at the end of the day.

If you threw a piece of paper at the speed of light against an immovable object, it was only speed, and nothing else.

He needed the sharpness to be able to cut through Alar’s skin.


‘Well… I’ll worry about it as we get closer. What matters here is escape.’


Tatak!


Removing a set of daggers in his right hand from his breast pocket, Mateo covered them quickly in his silver aura and chucked them as he withdrew.

Alar was starting to grow annoyed but noticed something was going on. It didn’t matter as long as he was able to retrieve the boy.

Looking at Roy trying to escape in the distance, Alar ignored the daggers and darted in the direction where Roy and Mateo were retreating towards.




Chapter 47 – Fin

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